A prison, as commonly known, is a correctional facility and detention centre where inmates are confined and denied many privileges under state authority.
But Narok GK Prison on the outskirts of Narok town turns inmates into agri-business savvy people, majoring in horticulture and agro-forestry to keep them away from idleness that led to them committing crimes.
It’s 9am when Smart Harvest visits and the inmates armed with farm tools are headed to the prison farm. They provide the much-needed labour for fruits and vegetable farming.
To prison officers, the prisoners are made to work on the farm as a punishment, but the inmates say they have acquired important skills and this penalty has changed their ways of life.
Established 12 years ago to supplement government income, the six-acre farm has fruit trees such as avocado, oranges, mangoes, bananas and paw paws. It also has tree nurseries, apiary and livestock such as dairy cows and goats.
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The prisoners say when they complete their jail terms, which do not exceed three years as per the prison’s jurisdiction, they will go invest in agriculture to beat idleness.
At the farm, the inmates get to learn about grafting fruits such as avocado and mangoes to get superior and more productive varieties, as well as maintenance of the fruit trees to maturity.
David Lagat, 23, who is serving an eight-month sentence for being in possession of narcotic drugs, says he wished he had learnt alternative sources of getting income such as agriculture, which he is now passionate about.
“When I came here months ago, I had no idea of anything to do with farming. I had never imagined horticulture is this lucrative. I have seen fruits being maintained, harvested and sold and there is a lot of money in this,” he tells Smart Harvest.
The father of two who hails from Eldoret says after serving his jail term, he is planning to establish a vegetable garden and a tree nursery in his one-acre land back home to fend for his family.
Another prisoner, Wesley Mutai, 25, serving six months for illegal logging, says he will never engage in the vice again and will now be a pro-environment ambassador by venturing into agro-forestry.
Officer in-charge of the farm Joseph Rotich says the farming was aimed at boosting the food security of the prison officers and inmates and the surplus was sold to raise revenue for the government.
“This farm was started in 2004 and we are now doing very well. We produce milk, fruits such as bananas, pawpaws, oranges and mangoes, which fetch us about Sh30,000 a month fromthe surplus,” says Rotich.
He affirms that the inmates who have passed through the farm for the last decade have changed from their criminal ways and learnt to be self-dependent by engaging in agriculture.
“In our six acres, we teach them how to make tree nurseries, how to craft fruits and basic skills on vegetable gardens. From this farm, we have followed up on success stories and most of them are doing well out there,” says Rotich.
As part of correctional efforts, he says, the farming activities provide a wealth of experience to the inmates undergoing character rehabilitation as they learn to do things on their own and not rush for fast cash that always puts them at logger-heads with the law.
Farm manager Pauline Mugambi says despite the farm thriving, there were challenges such as livestock diseases as well as difficulty in getting feeds during dry seasons.
Officer in charge of the prison Alfred Musila says the facility is among the best in agriculture in the country.
“We have seen successes through this farm. After finishing their jail terms, most of our inmates have embraced farming and are now sustaining their families and have been accepted back to the society,” he says.
